north toward the interstate. She drove us into a small pocket of homes nestled against the freeway and pulled to the curb in front of a pale-green stucco one-story. The yard was bright green, flowers neatly arranged in planters across the front of the house. The sidewalk was swept clean, the driveway hosting a newer model white Volvo.
“This is it?” I asked.
“Yep,” she said, nodding. “Come here about once a month or so, I think. College kids.”
“Guys?”
She nodded. “Guys. Frat boys.”
“Give you trouble?”
Her nose wrinkled. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Which was probably true, because I was becoming very aware that Bella could handle a lot.
“Let’s go,” I said.
“You’re coming with me?”
“I didn’t come along just for the ride.”
“But … ”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “It’ll be fine.”
Skepticism crept into her eyes, but she pushed open the door and got out. I followed.
The door opened before she could punch the doorbell. A shirtless guy in his early twenties sporting a shaved head and dark goatee smiled at her. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hi, Paul,” she said.
He looked past her at me. “Who’s your friend?”
“Just a friend,” Bella said.
His eyes narrowed. “You usually come alone.”
She slipped the backpack off her shoulder and held it out to him. “You want your stuff or not?”
His eyes stayed on me. “Yeah. I’ll get the money.”
“Nope,” I said. “We come in. No money out here.”
“Look, pal, I don’t know who … ”
“You got an open garage door two doors down and open front doors on either side of you,” I said. “Cop two blocks back, just rolling around, checking the neighborhood. I’m doing you a favor. Paul.”
He craned his neck, looking past me to see if I was lying.
I wasn’t and he recognized it.
He pushed opened the screen door and we entered the house.
The air in the house was humid and smelled of sweat. The hum of a swamp cooler buzzed in my ears, but it wasn’t doing much cooling. The living room was furnished with things that looked like they’d been picked up at a garage sale — a torn up sofa, a beat up chair, a chipped wooden coffee table. A massive flat screen TV was the only new thing in the room.
Another guy was lounging on the beat up chair, staring at the TV and his head rolled in our direction. “What’s up, Bella?”
“Hey, Greg.”
He held up a hand meant for me. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I looked at Paul. “Whose got the money?”
Paul hesitated, then disappeared down a hallway.
Bella set the bag on the table. “Same as always.”
“Right on,” Greg said, swinging his legs around and sitting up. His hair hadn’t seen shampoo in ages and his T-shirt and shorts looked as if they’d been on his body for several days. “You helping out now, big guy?”
“No.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the deal then?”
Paul came back into the room and held up a stack of cash. Bella took it from him, counted it quickly and nodded. “We’re good.”
“Listen up, guys,” I said. “This is the last time you buy from Bella. You got it?”
They looked at each other, confused.
“What?” Bella whispered.
“She won’t be back and you won’t go looking for her,” I said.
“Says who?” asked Paul, agitation all over his face.
“Me,” I said. “And if you don’t like it, let’s settle it now.”
Greg looked at Bella. “David know about this?”
“Don’t worry about what David knows,” I said. “All you need to know is what I’m telling you. Even if she shows up with product, you won’t buy it.”
“Bullshit,” Paul said, stepping toward me. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Guy who’s gonna make your life miserable in about two seconds if you don’t back off,” I
“This is it?” I asked.
“Yep,” she said, nodding. “Come here about once a month or so, I think. College kids.”
“Guys?”
She nodded. “Guys. Frat boys.”
“Give you trouble?”
Her nose wrinkled. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Which was probably true, because I was becoming very aware that Bella could handle a lot.
“Let’s go,” I said.
“You’re coming with me?”
“I didn’t come along just for the ride.”
“But … ”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “It’ll be fine.”
Skepticism crept into her eyes, but she pushed open the door and got out. I followed.
The door opened before she could punch the doorbell. A shirtless guy in his early twenties sporting a shaved head and dark goatee smiled at her. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hi, Paul,” she said.
He looked past her at me. “Who’s your friend?”
“Just a friend,” Bella said.
His eyes narrowed. “You usually come alone.”
She slipped the backpack off her shoulder and held it out to him. “You want your stuff or not?”
His eyes stayed on me. “Yeah. I’ll get the money.”
“Nope,” I said. “We come in. No money out here.”
“Look, pal, I don’t know who … ”
“You got an open garage door two doors down and open front doors on either side of you,” I said. “Cop two blocks back, just rolling around, checking the neighborhood. I’m doing you a favor. Paul.”
He craned his neck, looking past me to see if I was lying.
I wasn’t and he recognized it.
He pushed opened the screen door and we entered the house.
The air in the house was humid and smelled of sweat. The hum of a swamp cooler buzzed in my ears, but it wasn’t doing much cooling. The living room was furnished with things that looked like they’d been picked up at a garage sale — a torn up sofa, a beat up chair, a chipped wooden coffee table. A massive flat screen TV was the only new thing in the room.
Another guy was lounging on the beat up chair, staring at the TV and his head rolled in our direction. “What’s up, Bella?”
“Hey, Greg.”
He held up a hand meant for me. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I looked at Paul. “Whose got the money?”
Paul hesitated, then disappeared down a hallway.
Bella set the bag on the table. “Same as always.”
“Right on,” Greg said, swinging his legs around and sitting up. His hair hadn’t seen shampoo in ages and his T-shirt and shorts looked as if they’d been on his body for several days. “You helping out now, big guy?”
“No.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the deal then?”
Paul came back into the room and held up a stack of cash. Bella took it from him, counted it quickly and nodded. “We’re good.”
“Listen up, guys,” I said. “This is the last time you buy from Bella. You got it?”
They looked at each other, confused.
“What?” Bella whispered.
“She won’t be back and you won’t go looking for her,” I said.
“Says who?” asked Paul, agitation all over his face.
“Me,” I said. “And if you don’t like it, let’s settle it now.”
Greg looked at Bella. “David know about this?”
“Don’t worry about what David knows,” I said. “All you need to know is what I’m telling you. Even if she shows up with product, you won’t buy it.”
“Bullshit,” Paul said, stepping toward me. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Guy who’s gonna make your life miserable in about two seconds if you don’t back off,” I
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